Turkish Charity Bazar in Tripoli

Raises Funds for Flood Victims

Syed Javed Hussain

The Turkish Ambassador to Libya held a charity bazaar at his spacious residence in Tripoli on Sept. 29, 2010 and raised 1000,000 US dollars for the flood victims in Pakistan.

Business and social circles of Tripoli showed keen interest in the event and people in large numbers visited the bazaar. As the event had altruistic purpose international community residing in Tripoli fully participated in the event and raised the level of fund raising activity in Libya to a new height of dignity and sincerity.

In Sequence to Fund Raising Activities

The charity bazaar was in sequence to fund raising activities set off by Mr. Jamil Ahmed Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan in Libya, by a fund raising dinner at his residence in August.. Talking to this scribe Ambassador Jamil Ahmed Khan said that the approach of out reaching Libyan, Turkish and Pakistani community has resulted into fund generation to the tune of half a million dollars.

Mr. Jamil Ahmed Khan addressing the gathering dilated upon the salient features of flood disaster. He said that the death of 1800 people and displacement of about 20 million citizens covering a huge area in the length and breath of Pakistan have made it the most horrendous disaster of human history.

He said after affects of floods in the shape of epidemics caused by diphtheria, whooping cough, malaria, measles, which have broken due to unhygienic conditions and difficult terrain in flood affected areas, have put the lives of millions of children at stake.

About 2.2 Million Cases of Malaria Expected

He quoted the recent report of WHO where the world organization had suggested that about 2.2 million cases of malaria are expected in the flood affected areas over the next six months. The ambassador told the gathering that floods had affected Pakistan agriculture to the tune of 3.27 b US $ so that it has jettisoned the prices of food and cotton in the world market. He further mentioned that crop of about 2.39 million tons of rice and 10.4 million tons of standing sugarcane was totally destroyed.

The ambassador maintained that Turkish people have always occupied a special place in the hearts and minds of the government as well as people of Pakistan. He further stated that Pakistan and Turkey though are two countries but think like one nation in regard to almost all issues. He said both countries have approached issues from same perspective and that the friendship between countries was strategic, historical and permanent.

Turkey Pakistan Working on Common Grounds

The ambassador told the gathering that the mechanism of common approach drawn by Turkey and Pakistan would aim to make a long term analysis about global and regional development and more comprehensive evaluation of issues regarding a mutual future of two countries.

The ambassador mentioned that the wife of Turkish Prime Minister had visited Pakistan and spent time with the flood victims. He said this emotion will be remembered by people of Pakistan and will go down in history indelibly as it is not an ordinary thing that hundreds of members of Turkish business community left their country and spent their Eid with the flood victims in Pakistan; so much so that the Turkish people donated two thousands pints of blood for them.

At the end of his speech Mr. Jamil Ahmed Khan thanked the Turkish ambassador for arranging the charity bazaar and said that this gesture of his has further augmented the long, solid and deep rooted relations of two countries. It touches the heart of Pakistanis noting their Turkish brothers emotions and physical assistance while the Turkish planes loaded with medicines, foods, clothing and tents land on the soil of Pakistan said the Ambassador.

Information

In line with the policy of government signifying Turkish people's bondage with Pakistan, Turkish Ambassador in Tripoli holds a charity bazaar in Tripoli.

﻿This is a news story that first appeared in the Suite101 on Sep 29, 2010﻿﻿